How many radiant heat panels per thermostat ?

[littlebiatatime]

I am thinking of building a rack system and getting four or five reptile basics radiant heat panels. Going for the 40 watt version plus a ve 100 thermostat with a basic surge protector .

Right now I am thinking of using large plastic tubs and to house my ball pythons towards the top and possibly a corn snake and king snake at the bottom.

Not sure if 40 watts will be enough.


Side note:

I also plan to buy cages from PVC cages (48 by 24 by 24) for a bearded dragon and another cage but with the devider for a green tree python and a diamond python. I plan to get the 1xx radiant heat panel for the bdragon.

I know you usually can only have the same temps per thermostat, but was not sure how wattage of panel affects it all.

i am considering getting glass tanks for all mu setup since I want to be able to look at my animals, as far as I can tell, tubs don't allow for that. Exo terra glass tanks seem a bit expensive though. semi clear tubs are $25 each but worried about fires and toxic fumes.

I have been looking for other PVC cage vendors but only one had good prices once you factor in shipping and they use reptile basics too.


Thanks

[norwegn113]

The best answer and the safest is each panel should be monitered by its own thermostat, especially if you are stacking the units vertically.

[littlebiatatime]

Unsafe as in fires? Or as in unsafe temps for bp? I thought a fuse would blow out and that rhp did not catch fire?

[REBELLMORPH]

VE 100 have 700W capacity so 700W : 40W = 17 RH Panels/40W

[norwegn113]

Im going to be very careful here as to not suggest a particular brand or to bash a particular brand but nothing is fireproof so to say. Some brand name panels are made better than others. As for the thermostat issue, even if all enclosures are exact same size and you use identical panels, your interior temps will vary greatly based upon the cages position on a verticle stack

[littlebiatatime]

Im going to be very careful here as to not suggest a particular brand or to bash a particular brand but nothing is fireproof so to say. Some brand name panels are made better than others. As for the thermostat issue, even if all enclosures are exact same size and you use identical panels, your interior temps will vary greatly based upon the cages position on a verticle stack

I assume you are alluding to pro products, pro heat?

I dont know, what data is there to support that pro products is better than reptile basics? Has one never cached fire and the other has? One is more efficient?

Pro products has a terrible website, they want you to call them as far as I can tell. Still open to suggestions.

[norwegn113]

I assume you are alluding to pro products, pro heat?

I dont know, what data is there to support that pro products is better than reptile basics? Has one never cached fire and the other has? One is more efficient?

Pro products has a terrible website, they want you to call them as far as I can tell. Still open to suggestions.

Pro products does want you to call them, only because they work to get you the exact size panel you need the first time. It is not a one panel fits all thing. I am not telling you what to buy, but I will tell you that I just bought 7 pro panels and they are working flawlessly. Call Pro products and talk to Bob and he can tell you the differences of the panels. The call costs nothing and you will be amazed on what you will learn.

[norwegn113]

If you are thinking about using a rack system, radiant heat panels are not the way to go. There are much more efficient and less costly wats of heating racks. I would use heat tape for bottom heat or back heat. You could then use one thermostat to heat all the bins on that rack.

[littlebiatatime]

If you are thinking about using a rack system, radiant heat panels are not the way to go. There are much more efficient and less costly wats of heating racks. I would use heat tape for bottom heat or back heat. You could then use one thermostat to heat all the bins on that rack.

I want to minimize the chances of fires so I will be moving away from heat tape, which I use already have.


Given I would rather not risk a fire, I am probably going to start looking for a glass enclosure or a pvc one.

[kitedemon]

You can't heat a rack with RHP easily, min set up distance for most manufacturers is 18-22 inches that from the face say the panel is 2 inches thick that means each level would need to be 20-24 tall they cannot be safely used horizontally mounted they are 'safe' from CONTACT burns because snakes cannot touch the surface. A 40w RB panel on max will hit 190º too hot for anything other than over head. I know Dr. Del here suggests caging all RHPs in any set up.

Only one RHP per thermostat, they heat objects not air and like the sun the colour and reflective qualities of the object being heated change the amount they heat the object. There are far too many variables to use them safely in this type of set up. Add that they have a carbon heat tape as a heat source inside them, you still are using flexwatt.

I also would question the use of an on/off tstat with RHP, many manufacturers recommend a proportional controller. The way the panels deliver heat is not well suited to the extremes of an off on system there is no buffer against hysteresis, swing, or backlash that all on off have to some degree.

Add that the RHP does not easily build a horizontal gradient but rather a vertical one it has no business in a rack, period. I would suggest it to be unsafe in this application. I am not a huge fan of flexwatt or self wired heat tapes in general. I understand the concern and I would suggest a low wattage low density UTH as the max. safest. (Kane is likely the most robust and runs in the range of RHPs, Ultratherm, intelliheat, there are others any that is designed not to exceed 100ºF) Used with a proportional control and a secondary back up there is little to go wrong especially if on every deep cleaning they are closely inspected. They are as safe as any heater if used according to the manufacturers recommendations.